Multnomah County Animal Services (MCAS), in partnership with Good Neighbor Vet, a mobile pet vaccine clinic, is offering free rabies vaccines and health exams for pet owners in the community when they purchase licensing for their cat or dog.
Good Neighbor Vet, which is hosting the clinic, has also expanded its hours at MCAS to every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., in the parking lot of MCAS shelter in Troutdale. The clinic used to occur only one Saturday a month.
“We saw a real need in our community and the hurdles that people had to jump through just to get their pets vaccinated,” said Wade Sadler, client services supervisor at the shelter. “There were real financial barriers to people getting rabies vaccinations and time constraints that often resulted in their pet’s license not being valid.”
As part of MCAS licensing requirements, pet owners must show that their pet has received the proper rabies vaccination. Many clinics offer vaccination packages but they can be costly.
Wade says the new service will not only save pet owners money for vaccination, pets will also get a free health exam which can cost as much as $75 at some clinics.
“The service that we’re offering would be a $25 to $75 savings depending on where you take your animal to the vet. So this will not only save money but to protect their pets and the community.”
The clinic began in June and will be re-assessed depending on community need.
“The hope is that people will come to the clinic and take advantage of this resource so we can keep it going in the future.”